Some embodiments described herein relate generally to methods and apparatus for forward error correction (FEC) sub-systems for optical fiber communication systems. In particular, but not by way of limitation, some embodiments described herein relate to methods and apparatus for FEC sub-systems with flexible overhead capabilities for optical fiber communication systems.
Forward error correction (FEC) is a signal processing technique used to correct errors in data transmission over unreliable or noisy communication channels (e.g., optical fiber channels) to improve data reliability. FEC, based on a pre-determined algorithm, encodes original data information with redundant error-correction information (e.g., redundant parity symbols), which together with the original data information is transmitted to a receiver over the communication channel of interest. The redundant error-correction information allows the receiver to detect and correct errors that occur during the data transmission without retransmission of the original data information. As a result, by decoding the received information and correcting the errors, the receiver recovers the original data information.
As bandwidth demands for optical fiber communication systems increase and the tolerance for errors and latency decreases, different physical channels and different applications and services in optical fiber communication systems would benefit from varying error correction capabilities. Known FEC sub-systems for optical fiber communications, however, are unable to provide error correction capabilities with varying overhead (i.e., a ratio of the redundant error-correction information over the original data information) without changing the hardware of the FEC.
Accordingly, a need exists for methods and apparatus for a FEC sub-system that provides flexible overhead capabilities for error correction in optical fiber communication systems without changing the hardware of the FEC.